MLB

Barack Obama had nothing but beautiful things to say about Willie Mays on the MLB legend's birthday ... even saying the ex-SF Giant helped pave the way for his presidency.

Obama posted the cool happy birthday note to the former slugger on his Twitter page Thursday ... saying, "Happy 90th birthday to Willie Mays!"

"If it wasn't for folks like Willie and Jackie Robinson, I might never have made it to the White House."

Obama continued, "The spirit he played with and the way he carried himself changed the game and people’s attitudes. I’m glad he’s still going strong."

Obama and Mays have had a friendship that dates back years ... Mays famously rode on Air Force 1 with Obama in 2009 when the two were on the way to the '09 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Obama later went on to joke about that trip ... saying, "Very rarely when I'm on Air Force 1 am I the second-most important guy on there. Everybody was just passing me by, 'Can I get you something, Mr. Mays?"

In 2015, Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Mays as well.

Mays is to this day still one of the best baseball players that's ever lived ... he was a 2-time MVP, 24-time All-Star and a 12-time Gold Glove winner.

A diehard Orioles fan who's in the hospital battling COVID cried tears of joy watching John Means' no-hitter Wednesday ... and video from the ICU room will hit ya right in the feels.

Sports-talk host Josh Graham shared the emotional footage from his father on Wednesday evening ... saying, "There’s no sports team my dad loves more than the Orioles."

"While he fights COVID in a Raleigh ICU, he just watched John Means toss the O’s first no-hitter since 1969. He just sent me this and now I’m an emotional wreck."

The video is awesome, Josh's dad filmed himself in tears while watching Means celebrate his incredible game.

In the clip, Josh's dad continuously praised Means for the effort ... saying several times out loud, "He did it!" and "Thank God!"

Means was RIDICULOUS against the Mariners on Wednesday ... he struck out 12 batters in the complete-game shutout -- logging the first no-no for the Orioles in 52 years.

And, the game clearly inspired Josh's father ... 'cause Josh said it brightened up the guy's day and recovery process for sure.

"After Means’ no-no, he’s been talking trash with his doctor, a Yankee fan, and showing off his Orioles mask this morning," Josh said Thursday.

"He’s been overwhelmed by the amount of reaction and support he’s seen on social media. Thank you to everyone who’s reached out to check in."

Blake Snell lost his mind after seeing his video game rating in this year's version of "MLB The Show" -- straight-up calling his ranking "crap" ... and the hilarious rant was all caught on video!!

The San Diego Padres star pitcher was breaking into the baseball game on a live Twitch stream ... when he found his rating was nothing more than an 82 gold.

You can see in the footage ... the former Cy Young winner was NOT happy about it -- immediately asking his followers, "How the heck am I 82 gold?!"

"What kind of crap is that?!" Snell continued. "82 gold?! Bro, the disrespect!"

The 28-year-old kind of has a point ... he went 4-2 last year for the Rays with a 3.24 ERA -- and he's been good in his first season with the Padres so far this year.

But, Snell still asked his followers if he deserved better ... and when one troll said no, that's when Blake's rant got even better!

"I appreciate your opinion," Snell said. "But, that's a weak-ass opinion!"

We're sure Snell's card will get an upgrade soon ... but in the meantime, maybe best to just stick with Yu Darvish on the Padres' virtual mound.

Forget the web gems ON the field ... a Phillies fan made such an incredible 1-handed catch on a foul ball in the stands Sunday night, Alex Rodriguez even praised the dude!!!

The insane stab all went down in the 7th inning of the Phils' loss to the New York Mets ... when Michael Conforto sent a pitch screaming down the left-field line.

You can see in video of the play, the ball was a blur as it headed for the seats ... but one dude stuck out one paw and made the grab!!

And, get this ... the guy didn't even spill a drop of the ice cream he had in his other hand!!!

The play was so remarkable, A-Rod -- who was broadcasting the game for ESPN -- said, "Get that fan a contract!"

Rodriguez later added after seeing the replay, "I mean, come on!"

What's even more amazing about the play ... statcast experts say the ball had an exit velocity of 97 MPH off Conforto's bat!!!

The guy then made the biggest pro move of all -- he gave the baseball to his date, and it sure as hell seemed like she was impressed.

Tim Tebow's NFL comeback CAN work out well for the former QB ... so says Marcedes Lewis, who tells TMZ Sports he's confident Tim can revive his football career as a TE successfully.

"He gets it," Marcedes said of the former Heisman Trophy winner in L.A. this week. "With the right coach, in the right system, he's athletic, and, if he's willing, he'll be able to get it done."

Tim made the decision to drop baseball for football recently ... telling the Jacksonville Jaguars he's now willing to switch from signal-caller to tight end.

And, the Jags are apparently interested, 'cause multiple reports say after he got a workout in with Jacksonville's TE coach ... the team is now considering signing him to a contract.

Lewis says he doesn't necessarily see Tim being able to play the traditional TE role ... but he believes there's still a spot for Tebow in the NFL regardless.

"I mean, it's definitely a tough position," said Marcedes, who's been playing tight end in the league since 2006.

"I'm pretty sure if he does come back it would probably be in an F tight end role, kind of an adjuster where he's able to run routes and stuff like that. I don't see him inline blocking, so he may be able to pick it up."

As for Marcedes' advice on Tebow's transition to tight end ... Lewis tells us the guy just has to know what everybody is doing on every play at all times.

Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar -- one of the greatest second basemen of all time -- has been banned from Major League Baseball ... after an investigation into sexual misconduct claims from 2014.

Commissioner Robert Manfred announced the move on Friday ... saying 53-year-old Alomar has been terminated from his gig as a league consultant and placed on the "Ineligible List."

The ban, Manfred says, comes after MLB hired a law firm to investigate claims of sexual misconduct made by a "baseball industry employee," who came forward earlier this year about the alleged incident that happened in 2014.

After the investigation, it was determined Alomar violated MLB's policies ... resulting in severe punishment.

"We are grateful for the courage of the individual who came forward," Manfred said Friday. "MLB will continue to strive to create environments in which people feel comfortable speaking up without fear of recrimination, retaliation, or exclusion."

The Toronto Blue Jays followed suit by severing ties with Alomar, who was serving as a special assistant to the team ... and going one step further by scrubbing him from the team's "Level of Excellence."

Of course, Alomar was a star in the '90s -- he made 12 All-Star teams, won 10 Gold Gloves and won 2 World Series championships ... and was inducted into Cooperstown in 2011.

The Jays are also taking down Alomar's banner at the stadium, which honored his retired number #12 with the organization.

Alomar addressed the punishment minutes ago ... saying, "I am disappointed, surprised, and upset with today's news."

"With the current social climate, I understand why Major League Baseball has taken the position they have."

"F***ing s***. Motherf***er. Every goddamn time. What the f***."

That's how Tyler Glasnow reacted when his teammate made an insane catch Wednesday ... and after TV cameras captured the whole thing, his mom was NOT HAPPY at all about it!!

The Rays pitcher's profane rant all went down in the 7th inning of Tampa's game against the A's ... when Kevin Kiermaier incredibly hauled in a fly ball DEEP in center field.

Glasnow was so PUMPED for the catch ... he spewed every swear word in the book -- and then tipped his cap to his outfielder.

The problem? Glasnow's words were so naughty AND so clear on the television broadcast, Tampa's ace said afterward his mom told him he needs to cut it out going forward!!

"My mom texted me like, 'You got to stop cussing on TV,'" Glasnow said. "'Like, cover your mouth or something!'"

Tyler, though, said he just couldn't help it!

"That’s my only reaction I can give him," Glasnow said. "It’s just unbelievable."

Don't worry ... Glasnow -- who by the way is becoming arguably the best pitcher in baseball -- said he will work on it, telling reporters after the game he's going to try to make Mom happy.

"There's some swear words going on when everything kind of goes well or someone does well," Glasnow said. "So, I should work on covering my mouth like my mom said."

Bryce Harper is lucky to have avoided complete disaster Wednesday ... the MLB star was drilled in the nose by a 97 MPH pitch, but thankfully, he says he's somehow "all good."

The Phillies outfielder was up to bat in the 6th inning of Philadelphia's tilt with the St. Louis Cardinals ... when Génesis Cabrera's pitch got away from him and smashed BH right in the face.

The clip is horrifying ... the fastball appeared to catch Harper right between the eyes -- and Bryce immediately left the game for the training room.

Of course, with players like Giancarlo Stanton having suffered SEVERE damage from being hit with pitches in the face in the past ... many feared the worst for Harper.

But, fortunately, Harper said in a video after the game he passed all tests and expects to recover in no time.

"Everything feels good," Bryce said, showing off nothing more than minor swelling on his nose. "Everything came back good -- CT [scan], all that kind of stuff."

"So, face is still there. So, we're all good. See you guys soon!"

As for Cabrera -- who also hit Didi Gregorious in the back in the at-bat following Harper's -- he felt so badly about the night, he apologized after the game.

"I really wish him the best," Cabrera said of Harper. "I hope he has a speedy recovery, in whatever it is that happened, and that he'll be able to return to baseball activities."

"The game got away from me at that point. I'm really sorry for everything that happened today. None of it was intentional. And again, I'm sorry for everything."

Scary moment on the MLB diamond Tuesday night ... umpire Kerwin Danley was hit in the face by a foul ball -- and appeared to be knocked out cold behind home plate.

The tense moments all went down in the 6th inning of the Giants vs. Rockies game in San Francisco ... when Sam Hilliard foul-tipped a pitch right into Danley's facemask.

You can see in footage from the broadcast of the game, Danley immediately fell backward and laid motionless for several seconds.

Really scary moment.

Trainers rushed to tend to the 59-year-old ... and, fortunately, he was able to get up minutes later and leave the field under his own power.

The Giants said after the game that Danley was "doing well" ... though he was experiencing a "slight headache."

This is not the first time Danley -- who's had a history of concussions -- has had a scare behind home plate ... back in 2008, he was hit in the jaw by a fastball, and a year later, he was hit in the head by a broken bat.

STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND LOOK AT THIS ADORABLE BUNNY!!!

A pair of San Francisco Giants fans hit up Oracle Park to watch their boys take on the Miami Marlins on Thursday ... and forget the peanuts and crackerjacks, they brought their cute ass therapy rabbit along to enjoy the fun!!

The 4 1/2-month-old bunny named Alex belongs to owners Kei Kato and her fiancé, Josh Row ... who bought the Flemish giant after Kato's brewery restaurant closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex helps with Kato's anxiety and stress ... and brings joy to the couple's life during the tough times.

The furry friend has been living it up since he joined the family -- from NASCAR races to tubing and kayaking ... and even helped hand out Easter eggs to kids!!

The fun continued when Kato and Row brought Alex to his first baseball game ... and it was a monumental moment -- it's believed he's the VERY FIRST bunny to attend a ballgame at Oracle Park, according to the team.

Alex -- who was wearing a Giants-colored bowtie -- quickly became a fan favorite ... and the Marlins even tried to convert him to their side with some free merch, while SF invited him back as their good luck charm.

Giants CEO Larry Baer also spoke about their new fan ... saying, "Love this therapy bunny," Baer said. "We could all use a therapy bunny right about now!"

So, what's next for the lovable trio?? They're hoping to hit up a Warriors game ... and Golden State has already welcomed Alex with open arms.

A dad at an MLB game went from hero to zero REAL QUICK on Thursday ... fumbling a home run ball, dropping his nachos and losing a shoe in a sad moment that was all caught on video.

The scene went down in the 6th inning of the Reds vs. Diamondbacks game in Cincinnati ... when Eugenio Suarez hit a missile to deep center field.

The ball -- coming in HOT -- landed in a dude's hand ... but when the guy wasn't able to fully secure it, calamity ensued.

The Reds fan, who appeared to be with his son, fell down three rows of seats and spilled his nachos as he tried to recover the loose ball, and then he even lost a shoe!!

But, the worst part? ANOTHER FAN SCOOPED UP THE BALL BEFORE HE COULD GET IT!!

The kid with the man could not have been more disappointed ... showing a look of complete and utter disgust when the dude got back to his seat.

We'd like to say there was a happy ending here ... but it doesn't seem the guy got his nachos replaced or another ball -- and, by the way, the home team ended up losing 14-11.

If you needed further proof Tim Tebow is the sweetest boy on Earth -- here it is ...

The former Heisman Trophy winner granted a 105-year-old's birthday wish this week ... sending an adorable video shout-out to the woman -- and the whole thing was cute as hell!!

Here's the deal ... Cora Belle Edison has been a Tebow superfan for YEARS, never missing one of his games and even calling the former quarterback "handsome!" during her 105th bday party last week.

And, after she told local station WJTV in Jackson, Miss. her wish for her big 1-0-5 was to meet Tim ... TEBOW ACTUALLY REACHED OUT!!!

The 33-year-old -- alongside all his dogs -- sent the woman a heartfelt message ... saying, "Hey, Mrs. Edison. This is Tim Tebow. I wanted to make this video to say happy birthday."

"I know last Tuesday that you turned 105 years old and that is so incredible."

He continued, "I also know we have a lot in common. I know that you have five children, and I’m the baby of five, so we have that in common. And, I know that you were a nurse, and you loved helping people and that's also what I feel called to do. But, most importantly, I also know that you love the Lord, which is most important."

Tebow then praised Edison for the legacy she's left on the planet ... and added, "I really hope I get the chance to see you and give you a hug."

"But, even if I don’t get the chance to give you a huge here on Earth, I know I will in heaven and I look forward to that day."

MLB superstar Yasiel Puig admits he DID have a sexual encounter with the woman accusing him of sexual battery -- but insists the whole thing was consensual.

We broke the story ... Puig was sued in 2020 by a woman using the pseudonym, Jane Doe -- who claims Yasiel followed her into a bathroom at Staples Center during the Lakers game on Oct. 31, 2018, and sexually assaulted her.

The woman later claimed she did NOT know Puig before the alleged incident.

Now, Puig is firing back ... claiming it was the woman who initiated the sexual encounter.

"Let me be clear and set the record straight once and for all: these allegations are totally false," Puig said in a statement.

"The evidence proves they are false, and I look forward to all the facts and the truth coming out.”

"The fact is that I had consensual sex with a woman I met at a Lakers game after she propositioned me."

"Afterward, we talked about going out together, but she said she did not want her fiancé to find out. We messaged each other afterward and plan to get together again, but we never did. She’s now suing me based on completely made up allegations."

Puig's attorneys, Alan Jackson and Caleb Mason, claim they have Instagram messages and text messages which show "she initiated contact with Mr. Puig earlier that evening."

"[The accuser] had designs on meeting him, and she sent him repeated Instagram messages along with her cell phone number and a heart emoji -- all unsolicited by Mr. Puig."

"After the game [the accuser] sought out Mr. Puig in person at the Chairman's Club [at Staples Center] and asked him to go into a bathroom with her for a consensual sexual encounter."

Puig's attorneys claim the two continued to message each other in the days and weeks after the incident ... with the accuser sending him a "series of affectionate and endearing messages" that aren't consistent with someone who was sexually assaulted.

This is disgusting.

Cleveland Indians infielder Yu Chang was the target of vile and racist hatred after making a game-ending error on Monday ... and now he's calling out the scumbags behind the hateful comments.

Chang -- who is Taiwanese -- was playing 1st base for Cleveland in their tilt against the Chicago White Sox when he made a throwing error in the bottom of the 9th (with 1 out) that ultimately cost Cleveland the game.

Of course, Chang probably felt terrible for the error -- but what made things worse is the tidal wave of hate that came onto his social media pages.

Chang decided he wasn't going to let the racists idiots behind the messages get away with such horrible comments -- and put them on blast Tuesday morning.

The comments are despicable -- using disgusting anti-Asian slurs to attack Chang. One person even brought up SARS and the coronavirus. Really terrible stuff.

25-year-old Chang says he's open to legitimate baseball criticism -- but he won't stand for racism or other offensive comments.

"Exercise your freedom of speech in a right way, I accept all comments, positive or negative but DEFINITELY NOT RACIST ONES."

"Thank you all and love you all. #StopAsianHate."

The comments come at a time of unrest for the Asian community -- Stop AAPI Hate recently released a report claiming there have been more than 3,800 anti-Asian incidents in the past year.

Sports stars have been using their platform more than ever to combat anti-Asian hate -- NBA player Jeremy Lin recently revealed he was called the "coronavirus" during a recent G-League game ... and vowed to do whatever it takes to prevent others from going through similar hurtful experiences.

Chang was a highly touted prospect coming out of Taiwan -- and impressed MLB's scouts with his stellar performance at the 2011 World Youth Championship.

The Minnesota Twins will NOT be taking the field Monday afternoon -- the team has postponed its matchup with the Boston Red Sox following the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright at the hands of a police officer.

"Out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Brooklyn Center, and following the additional details in this evolving situation, the Minnesota Twins have decided it is in the best interests of our fans, staff, players and community to not play today's game," the team said in a statement.

20-year-old Wright was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop Sunday afternoon in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.

Cops say they were trying to take him into custody after learning he had outstanding warrants ... and Wright attempted to flee.

BC Police Chief Tim Gannon claims the officer meant to use her taser during the incident, but accidentally shot Wright instead. He died at the scene.

Protests and riots broke out in the area following the tragedy ... and the National Guard was deployed on the scene.

The Twins -- who were set to open a 4-game series with the Sox -- say they worked with MLB, local and state officials to reach its decision ... and will announce a makeup date at a later time.

One of the most epic beards in baseball is no more ... Rougned Odor shaved his famous face sweater after being traded to the Yankees -- AND IT LOOKS WEIRD!!!

The 2nd baseman was jettisoned from the Rangers to New York last week ... and, in complying with the Yanks' no facial hair policy, he busted out the razor for the first time in YEARS.

And, check out the 27-year-old's new appearance ... he's damn-near unrecognizable -- even to his own 3-year-old daughter!!!

"It was weird. I feel weird,” Odor said of his newly shaved face. "Even my daughter, she didn’t even want to look at me. It is what it is. I’m happy to be here."

Don't worry ... Odor didn't lose any of his baseball magic after he ditched the follicles -- in fact, dude came in CLUTCH for the Pinstripes against the Rays in his 1st appearance with the team Sunday.

After starting the game 0-for-4, Odor knocked in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning with a single to centerfield. He later came around to score, too, helping NYY win 8 to 4.

Good luck in your new smooth-faced journey Rougned ... try not to punch anyone!